From last minute getaways and afternoon tea to garden tours and race days, there’s something for everyone …

“Within the Garden” is the new collection from Kindred of Ireland which includes pretty floral prints and a Gardener’s Smock inspired by the quiet return to seasonal outdoor living. Let’s hope the sun shines, even for a while, so we can get outside or explore some heritage sites and off-piste places on a day trip.

In Dublin, there’s a series of interesting spring lectures at the National Botanic Gardens. In Galway, take a guided tour of Portumna Castle and Gardens to enjoy stunning views of Lough Derg, then savour the delights of its café. At Ross Castle in Kerry, there’s a wildflower-themed Easter Hunt. Another horticultural paradise in North Cork is Annes Grove Gardens. Find more of our favourites to pass the time below …

Last Minute Getaways

If you want to escape, there’s still availability at Richard Corrigan’s dreamy Virginia Park Lodge in Cavan, staying in the elegant Main House or one of the Shepherd’s Huts scattered across the woods. As well as walks through Deerpark Forest, cold water plunges in Lough Ramor and a series of menus celebrating seasonal produce, guests can enjoy a Fish Smoking & Oyster Shucking demonstration on April 3, a garden tour with wild garlic pesto-making and a spring wreath workshop on April 4, plus a wine masterclass on April 5. @virginia_park_lodge

The Fairmont Family Experience at Carton House in Maynooth, Kildare, is a fun two-night stay for two adults and up to two children sharing a family room. This includes breakfast each morning and dinner in Kathleen’s Kitchen on one evening. Guests can explore the Easter walking trail or, if staying on Easter Sunday, there’s an egg hunt in Lady Emily’s Rose Garden. @cartonhouse.fairmont

Easter Racing

For those who love to dress up, it’s time to dust off your race gear for the Easter Festival at Fairyhouse Racecourse from April 4-6. The prestigious Boyle Sports Irish Grand National is the main feature on Easter Monday, one of the most historic jump races in the country. Across all three days, racegoers can enjoy an interesting programme of high-quality racing complemented by fashion, live music and food experiences for all the family. Easter Saturday is traditionally Style Day when guests can enter the Bellinter House Hotel & Spa Most Stylish Person event judged by Michelle Regazzoli Stone, aka Mrs Make Up. The winner will enjoy a two-night stay in the Boyne Valley Suite at Bellinter House and dinner on one evening in the hotel Preston’s Restaurant. Second prize includes a two-night stay at the boutique Kensington hotel, The Exhibitionist in London. @fairyhouseracecourse

Afternoon Tea

Always a treat, afternoon tea with friends or family is buzzy and tasty at InterContinental Dublin, available until April 12. Served in the Lobby Lounge or Reading Room overlooking the garden terrace, relax while you savour a selection of sandwiches and sweet treats by executive pastry chef Orna Larkin. @intercondublin

One to book ahead for perfume fans is a special afternoon tea at Fota Island Resort in Cork on April 18. The Tom Ford Experience is hosted by Fiona Lemasney from Brown Thomas Cork along with fragrance specialists who will take guests on an olfactory journey of Tom Ford’s sexy, sophisticated world. Learn how to choose and layer a fragrance that suits them, and leave with a scented keepsake and gift. @fotaislandresort @brownthomascorkofficial

Tee Time

For golf fans, Glenlo Abbey Hotel & Estate in Galway has a two-night Easter offer that includes afternoon tea in the River Room and an hour on the estate’s newly transformed Trackman Driving Range, where the views make practice swings feel poetic. Other activities include falconry, fishing and cycling, or cosy evenings in the hotel’s cinema. Of course, no stay is complete without dining in the Michelin-starred Pullman Restaurant, a truly refined experience in gorgeous surroundings. I also recommend its GLO Spa – try the signature Seabody Bliss treatment, after which you will come out feeling considerably lighter in spirit, if not body. @glenlo_abbey

For Cinephiles

If you want to channel some French insouciance over the break, pop into the Irish Film Institute on April 10 to see The Stranger, Albert Camus’ enduring, enigmatic and chilling novella which follows a young man in 1930s Algeria whose indifference to social conventions sets him apart in society. I won’t spoil the plot, but it’s full of contemporary relevance. @irishfilminstitute

Image courtesy of Titan Books and The Story Factory. 

Also book ahead for a Stella Cinema X No Filler event on April 23 where special guest Jay Glennie, author of a new book on The Making of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, will be in conversation with RTE culture editor Derek O’Connor as a prelude to showing the film. @stellacinemas @no_filler

SEE MORE: 5 Fun Family Easter Events In Dublin